Editorís Note:
Most of the teacher appreciation letters I receive are from parents, and about
teachers and students that I do not know and have never met. However, I have
had the great pleasure and good fortune of knowing every one of the individuals
in the following letter for a number of years. I work closely with Karen, who
is President of the Maryland Parents of Blind Children, on local parent projects;
Iíve watched Amy grow into a young lady; and I have served with both Karen DeFeo
and Betsy Clark on various committees. In fact, I had the honor of presenting
Betsy Clark with the National Federation of the Blind of Marylandís Distinguished
Educator of Blind Children Award a few years ago.

The
primary purpose for publishing these letters is to spotlight hard-working professionals
who deserve public recognition. But these letters are more than that Ė they
are blueprints for parents, teachers, and administrators who are often unsure
about the role of the specialized professionals who work with our blind kids.

If
you know a teacher, O&M instructor, Braille transcriber, teacherís aide,
etc. who deserves a public ďthank you,Ē please send your Teacher Recognition
Nomination Letter (with, if available, a photo of the teacher and/or the student)
to Future Reflections, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, MD 21230. You
may also send it by e-mail to <BCheadle@nfb.org>. Be sure to include the
name and address of the sender, the teacherís name, the studentís name, the
name of the school district, and specific details about why this professional
deserves national recognition. The letters should be no less than one typed
page, and may be up to three pages. If your letter is published, we will send
you extra copies of the issue free of charge at your request.

I
am writing to commend the dedication and fine work of Karen DeFeo, the Braille
instructor who has been working with my daughter, Amy, for the past four years.
Karen started working with Amy during fifth grade at St. Johnís Lane Elementary
School and continued with her through Dunloggin Middle School.

The
transition from elementary school to middle school was trying for both Amy and
Karen. Many of the students and all of the teachers were new to Amy. In elementary
school students have one primary teacher each year. The teacher of the visually
impaired can spend one or two hours per day at the studentís school and communicate
with the primary teacher each day. In middle school, there are seven or eight
teachers to communicate with in the same amount of time. Karen has excellent
communication skills to work with a variety of teachers. After the first two
to three months of sixth grade, Amy, Karen, and the sixth grade teachers developed
a very good relationship.

Karen
has transcribed more than 2,000 Braille pages per year for the past two years.
Many times she took work home in the evenings so Amy had Braille handouts at
the same time her sighted peers received their handouts.

There
were many times over the past four years when I had concerns with Amyís personal
life, such as personal hygiene, posture, and social skills. Karen was always
there to listen, offer suggestions, and even help by putting some goals on her
IEP to work on these issues. Karen was also available in the evenings to talk,
which meant a lot to me as a single working mother.

Karen
has a strong knowledge of Braille and she is totally committed to providing
accurate Braille materials. Karen participates in various statewide committees
where she promotes the use of Braille. I hope she will receive your continued
support to participate in these committees.

Amy
has built a strong foundation in Braille skills due to Karenís efforts. Karen
was open to adding items to the IEP that I felt were important, such as using
the computer for e-mail and Internet access. These items may not be part of
the school curriculum, but they are helpful tools for all students to know.

I
would like to let you know I greatly appreciate all the hard work, the dedication,
and the friendship Karen has given to Amy and me over the past four years.